The present invention relates to an image display apparatus capable of output audio signal control in accordance with image information signal inputs in different signal formats from various different image sources.
In recent years, attention is focused on a so-called multimedia-type image display device which can perform image display based on image information signals outputted from different image sources such as television broadcast and a personal computer.
As a known example, a technique to display an image from a personal computer on a television set generally used in ordinary households is known.
Further, as another example, a technique to display a received television programs on a display device specifically for a personal computer is known. Such image display device is disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 9-182003.
With the widespread use of the above-described multimedia type image display device, there is a requirement from users as follows. That is, as audio information signals synchronized with image information signals from different image sources such as television broadcast and a personal computer are to be handled for the users"" different purposes, output statuses of the audio information signals must be controlled differently.
For example, in a case where a moving image obtained from a television broadcast signal or obtained by a video software program in a VTR is used as an input image information signal, to output an audio information signal, audio output providing a sense of realism by a large volume, a stereo effect, a surround-sound effect and the like is often required.
On the other hand, in a case where a still image obtained by a personal computer or the like is used as an input signal source, audio output with a sense of realism is not so often required as required in case of television broadcast signal or the like.
In the above conventional art, audio signal control means is provided for controlling an audio information signal output status, however, audio signal control for each image input signal is not taken into consideration. Accordingly, each time an audio information signal inputted into the image display device is selected, the output status of the audio control means must be manually changed.
Recently, by the improvements in sound effect techniques, concert hall- or theater-like realistic audio output can be selected in an ordinary household, or high-pitched tone- or low-pitched tone- emphasized audio output can be selected. Further, such selection can be made in a wider range. accordingly, it is very troublesome to manually set audio signal control appropriate to each image input signal in accordance with the type of the input signal.
The present invention has its object to provide an image display apparatus capable of automatically controlling an audio signal output status for each of respective audio information signals inputted in synchronization with image information signal inputs in different signal formats from various different image sources.
According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing an image display apparatus comprising: a display circuit having a specific number of display pixels; an image signal selection circuit that selects an arbitrary one of image information signals in different signal formats as input signals; a signal conversion circuit that converts the image information signal selected by the image signal selection circuit to an image information signal in a signal format corresponding to the display circuit; an audio signal selection circuit that selects an arbitrary one of audio information signals synchronous to the image information signals as input signals; an audio signal control circuit that controls a plurality of audio output statuses for the audio information signal selected by the audio signal selection circuit; a memory circuit that is used for storing and reading the audio output statuses of the audio signal control circuit for the audio information signal; an audio output circuit that outputs the audio information signal controlled by the audio signal control circuit; and a control circuit that stores a control status of the audio signal control circuit into the memory circuit by each audio information signal selected by the audio signal selection circuit, the reads the control status, and controls the audio signal control circuit.
Preferably, at least one of the input image information signals and the audio information signals is an output signal from a personal computer, and another one of the input signals is included in a television broadcast signal.
Regarding audio information signals inputted in synchronization with image information signal inputs in different signal formats from various different image sources, the audio signal control status for each audio information signal is stored into the memory circuit. Then, control data stored in the memory circuit is read by the control circuit for each selected audio information signal. The control circuit controls an audio control circuit based on the read audio control data. Thus, the audio signal output status can be automatically controlled for each selected audio information signal.